She Belongs To Him

Chap. 130: This Is Only The Beginning, Comrade

• burning Cadillac above •

As the black Cadillac turns down the wooded grove that leads down to the secret mansion, Lane heavily sighs. He rubs his eyes tiredly. The journey back to the mansion took a day and a half. Max had to drive to give Axel some time to rest. With the distance growing between him and Katie, the crime lord forced himself to not think about their last moments.

Lane looks down in his lap. He suddenly catches a whiff of smoke. He snarls his nose, glaring up at the back of Axel's head.

"Hey, Chimney." The crime lord arches a brow, annoyance plastered on his slightly stubbled face. "Take a shower before you hit the hay."

"Yes, Boss." Axel narrows his brows in confusion.

Lane stares out the window, feeling as if he were an incomplete puzzle. He knew deep down that the feeling wouldn't go away anytime soon. Not until he had Katie back within his grasp of safety.

As they drive down the grove surrounded by woods, the stench of smoke becomes stronger. Lane begins to cough.

"Shit, that's foul!" The crime lord coughs out, putting his coat over his face.

Max begins cough as well. "This...fog is thick!"

"That's not fog." Axel turns to her, holding his sleeve over his nose. "That's smoke!"

Lane stares at the floorboard, his mind racing. Suddenly, a thought fills him with alarm. His heart begins to race.

The crime lord takes out his gun and quickly loads it, putting it off safety. "Axel, Max-take out your guns and load them!"

Axel takes out his gun, holding his breath, and loads it. Max puts on the windshield wipers, hoping to clear their view from the smoke that surrounds them.

Up ahead, Lane catches a sight of red flames dancing in the black fog. The crime lord gaps his mouth, leaning forward.

"Holy shit..." He gasps, "Move around it, you idiot!"

Max swerves and parks the car. She takes out her gun and loads it. Lane grumbles in anger, shaking his head.

"Fuck!" Lane loudly cries at Max. "Good for nothing..."

Suddenly, a deer comes out of nowhere and slams into the side of the vehicle. Everyone inside ducks until the deer has managed to run away. Axel turns and looks at Lane with wide eyes. The crime lord grabs the bag of money, sliding his hand through the handles.

"Max, cover me from the back." Lane commands, grabbing the car door handle. "Axel, cover me from the front."

"Yes, Boss." Both answer as they climb out of the vehicle.

Smoke fills the vehicle immediately. Lane climbs out, covering his face with his coat. The gun in his right hand held high in the air. They all wonder around in the black smoke searching for the mansion. As they walk further into the smoke, it gets thinner. Lane catches a sight of the outline of the mansion. He coughs as he tries to speak.

"Forward!" He coughs, "I see the mansion!"

Axel quickly guides them out of the smoke. They all breath in deeply as they finally exit the fog like smoke clouds. Lane freezes when he sees the sight before him. The front door of the mansion is halfway open. A person lays dead in the doorway.